Since the "Caring for the Village, Making Movies for Grandma" activity has spread among the majority of users, Mr. Wu Muliang has been concerned about his hometown and has begun to take official photos for the elderly in his hometown village.
As a well-known UP master of station B, the number of views of a single film released by him has exceeded 6 million, and it has many popular works with high popularity. Mr. Wu Muliang is not only the only young representative in the village, but also a returnee who is keen on outdoor sports such as mountaineering and fishing rather than the bustling city, and is also an "INFJ" personality type who enjoys lonely time. It is worth mentioning that he left school with his friends at the age of 16 to go out to work and became a rebellious teenager. Today, in addition to focusing on the record of his personal life, he actively tries to contribute to his hometown.
The following is a transcript of the interview with Mr. Wu Muliang.
[1] Ask grandma to help invite villagers to come and take pictures
Jiupai News: Why did you come up with the idea of taking posthumous photos for the elderly?
Mr. Wu Muliang: I often take photos of my grandmother, and she often takes the initiative to ask me if there are any beautiful photos to choose from, so that I can develop them as her posthumous photos. Since I returned to my hometown last year, five elderly people in my village have passed away, which has touched my grandmother's heart and started to think about what happened after her. However, most of the photos I took of my grandmother were casually captured in daily life, and most of the images in the photos were not beautiful. So, I decided to dye her hair and styling some backgrounds. Then I thought that if I was going to take pictures of other elderly people in the village, why not do it all at once?
Jiupai News: How did you invite these elderly people to come and take pictures?
Mr. Wu Muliang: I asked my grandmother to invite them because I am not good at communicating with people, and I was worried that it would be too abrupt to go directly to an elderly person and ask, "Can I take a posthumous photo for you?"
Jiupai News: So, do these elderly people know the purpose of this shooting and are there any taboos?
Mr. Wu Muliang: They know this very well. In our local area, posthumous photos are called "old people's photos", so I told everyone that I was taking old people's photos for free at the entrance of the village, and many people came to participate. The vast majority of seniors are not taboo about this, and only those who do have concerns will not choose to participate.
Jiupai News: Can you tell us more about the whole filming process?
Mr. Wu Muliang: I placed the camera equipment at the entrance of the village, put up a red curtain, and then they followed my grandmother here. Since if I take pictures of each elderly person individually, they may feel nervous or refused, but when everyone gathers at the entrance of the village and creates a lively atmosphere with each other, I only need a little encouragement and they will naturally participate. The whole process was like a fun game, and everyone was very happy. I just need to remind them to keep their posture upright and smile. The grandparents around will comment and give advice, such as some people pointing out that one old man's hair is thinning, some people praising another old man for his beautiful smile, and some people joking that he has no teeth when he laughs, etc., the whole scene is full of fun.
Jiupai News: How many elderly people have you taken photos of? How old are the oldest and youngest of them?
Mr. Wu Muliang: I took pictures of about 15 elderly people, the oldest of whom was probably 82 or 83 years old, and the youngest was about the same age as my mother, about 50 years old. The two of them decided to join when they passed by the entrance of the village and saw that everyone was taking pictures, and they thought it was funny.
Jiupai News reporter: What is the reason for the red background in the photo?
Mr. Wu Muliang: The white and blue backgrounds are too monotonous, while the red ones are more vivid and bright, which is in line with the aesthetic preferences of the elderly. In addition, these photos are quite important to them, so most of the elderly people who come to take pictures will dress up carefully.
Jiupai News: What was the biggest challenge you faced during the whole filming process?
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